Method

Cut the carrot, celery & onion into small even dice.

Wash & pull the beards on the mussels before steaming in a large pot with white wine.

When the mussels are cooked, filter the resulting mussel juice & reserve the cooked mussels.

The mussel juice will be used like a stock in the chowder.

Meanwhile cook the diced vegetables gently in 1 tablespoon of Butter.

Make a Beurre Manie by mixing the remaining soft butter & flour.

Boil the cream, milk, mussel juice & diluted saffron, when boiling whisk in the Beurre Manie and bring back to a simmer stirring continuously.

When the mirepoix is cooked (5 mins) add the diced smoked haddock, followed by the thickened cream/mussel stock & the cooked mussels (out of the shell)

Bring the soup back to a simmer, check seasoning & serve in bowls with crusty or wholemeal bread.